Alternate Ford Running Mates in '76?
- Thread starter Statesman
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Reagan would never consent to being VP, especially back then when the VP was weaker.
John Connally maybe?
Nah. Having a former Democrat on the ticket wouldn't help Ford's case that he's a conservative. As others have said, Howard Baker is a good all around choice.
If you want a good POD to get Dole out of the picture you could have him lose his re-election in 1974. He barely won in the Democratic landslide of that year.
I agree that Ford wouldn't pick Reagan as his running mate, but he needs to pick someone that would mollify the conservatives in the party after the narrow primary victory. I don't think the George H.W. Bush of the 1970's would be that kind of candidate, perhaps Paul Laxalt instead.
I agree that Ford wouldn't pick Reagan as his running mate, but he needs to pick someone that would mollify the conservatives in the party after the narrow primary victory. I don't think the George H.W. Bush of the 1970's would be that kind of candidate, perhaps Paul Laxalt instead.
Paul V McNutt
Banned
Could a different running mate change the .3 percent in Ohio or the 1 percent in Wisconsin and or Mississippi.
I would agree with this - Meadow and I went with Baker as a running mate in "Agent Lavender" - Ford wanted to go with him in OTL, the choice of Dole was just one of Reagan's quid pro quos at the Republican Convention that the emitted President decided to go along with to help quieten down the right-wing.
I'm not sure what - if any - states get flipped in by Baker, the only places where he would have run strongly are states that Carter won heartily anyway - I suppose there is a chance of flipping Ohio, but even that wouldn't be enough to win the election...
Paul V McNutt
Banned
With Baker, Ford could win Tennesee and Ohio and the election. fFord 275 Carter 262 rReagan 1
Tennessee went for Carter 55.94% to 42.94% - home state advantage or not, that is not enough to turn it the other way, Running Mates are simply not that influential.
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Paul V McNutt
Banned
I remember reading that Carter carried a majority of the White vote in only three Southern states: Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee. The explanation for Tennessee was that voters were miffed that Baker was not Ford's pick.
His most obvious alternative choice would be his main opponent in the primaries, Ronald W. Reagan. This would hopefully serve to unite the moderate and conservative wings of the GOP together early on, allowing Ford to get his resources focused on winning the election.
No chance in heck that Reagan takes the Vice-Presidency as a consolation prize - it will irk a good third of his base, most of whom would consider him someone who sells out principle for the carrot of power - not to mention the fact that Reagan ran to be President and nothing but President. Having a couple of conservative standing-points inserted onto the platform was alright (ERA opposition &c) and also getting Dole on the ticket to show his power over the President, but anything more than that would have seriously damaged the chances of Reagan being the nominee in 1980.
I think Reagan knew that Ford was not going to win re-election when he lost the nomination - a lot of accounts of the period (you can read more in Donald Regan's memoirs) hint as much.
I hardly think the Republicans could have won at all in '76 because of Nixon's lack of discretion. I was simply stating my view that Reagan would have been a logical choice and would have made sense if an effort were being honestly made to unite moderate and conservative Republican voters. The best Ford could have hoped for would have been a narrow victory.